Chinese authorities have implemented strict containment measures after recording 8,000 cases of chikungunya virus in Foshan, Guangdong province, within four weeks, as the mosquito-borne disease registers over 240,000 cases and 90 deaths across 16 countries since January.

The outbreak has prompted authorities to deploy comprehensive control measures, including quarantine protocols, mass insecticide spraying, surveillance drones and biological controls such as mosquito-eating fish and "elephant mosquitoes" to disrupt breeding cycles. Enforcement mechanisms include fines for non-compliance, reflecting the stringent approach that characterised China's COVID-19 strategy.

Chikungunya, first identified in Tanzania seven decades ago, is transmitted primarily through Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, the same species that carry dengue and Zika viruses. The disease derives its name from the Kimakonde language, meaning "that which bends up", describing patients contorted by severe joint pain.

Whilst most sufferers recover within two weeks, debilitating arthralgia can persist for months, transforming a temporary illness into a chronic burden affecting productivity and quality of life across affected populations.

The global distribution extends beyond China, with significant outbreaks reported across Asia, Africa, the Indian Ocean region and the Americas, particularly Brazil. This geographic spread has been linked to climate change, with warming and wetter environments to blame, according to previous studies

Travel advisories now recommend enhanced precautions for visitors to affected areas, with some regions receiving Level two or higher warnings that impact tourism and economic activity.

Two vaccines have received regulatory approval: IXCHIQ for adults in the United States and Canada, and VIMKUNYA for individuals aged 12 and older in select countries.

However, widespread availability remains limited, leaving most at-risk populations dependent on traditional prevention methods including protective clothing, insect repellents and environmental management to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

Treatment options remain basic, consisting primarily of supportive care with over-the-counter pain relievers and rest. The absence of effective antiviral therapies means prevention remains the cornerstone of disease control, placing pressure on public health systems to maintain comprehensive mosquito control programmes.

Climate change, urbanisation and global connectivity create conditions for mosquito-borne disease transmission. Rising temperatures expand the geographic range of Aedes mosquitoes, whilst changing rainfall patterns create new breeding habitats.

Rapid urbanisation often outpaces infrastructure development, leaving communities with inadequate water management systems that create mosquito nurseries. International travel enables infected individuals to seed new outbreaks in previously unaffected regions where local populations lack immunity.

The same vectors that transmit chikungunya also carry dengue, Zika and yellow fever, while climate change continues to alter the distribution and intensity of transmission.